Post by Kiwi Frontline on May 26, 2018 17:16:17 GMT 12
'PLEASE SPEAK IN A LANGUAGE 99% OF US UNDERSTAND': RACIST REMARKS DERAIL MAUNGA MEETING
Racist comments derailed a public meeting called to discuss access to a popular Auckland maunga, Devonport's Mt Victoria, on Thursday.
The meeting was organised by a group of Devonport residents upset at the Tūpuna Maunga ō Tāmaki Makaurau Authority over its decision to close vehicular access to Takarunga (Mt Victoria) in March, in particular, because of a lack of community consultation.
But some members of the community didn't agree with Majurey's reasoning and things got off to a bad start on Thursday night when a member of the public demanded the mihi be spoken in English.
The traditional Māori welcome, which had been listed as a protocol for the meeting, was interrupted by the member who felt speaking in the official language was "disrespectful".
"Please speak in a language 99 per cent of us here understand," said the person who introduced himself as Simon Clark.
"If I stood here and spoke Cantonese, Mandarin or Eskimo, would anybody stay?"
Hauraki resident Laura Martin said the mihi ended up switching to English half-way through as a result of the bickering, which she said up to 50 people were involved in.......
www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/104218555/please-speak-in-a-language-99-of-us-understand-racist-remarks-derail-maunga-meeting
Racist comments derailed a public meeting called to discuss access to a popular Auckland maunga, Devonport's Mt Victoria, on Thursday.
The meeting was organised by a group of Devonport residents upset at the Tūpuna Maunga ō Tāmaki Makaurau Authority over its decision to close vehicular access to Takarunga (Mt Victoria) in March, in particular, because of a lack of community consultation.
But some members of the community didn't agree with Majurey's reasoning and things got off to a bad start on Thursday night when a member of the public demanded the mihi be spoken in English.
The traditional Māori welcome, which had been listed as a protocol for the meeting, was interrupted by the member who felt speaking in the official language was "disrespectful".
"Please speak in a language 99 per cent of us here understand," said the person who introduced himself as Simon Clark.
"If I stood here and spoke Cantonese, Mandarin or Eskimo, would anybody stay?"
Hauraki resident Laura Martin said the mihi ended up switching to English half-way through as a result of the bickering, which she said up to 50 people were involved in.......
www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/104218555/please-speak-in-a-language-99-of-us-understand-racist-remarks-derail-maunga-meeting